The Attingham Estate is just under 1,000 hectares and includes woodland, parkland, tenanted farms and farmland. We want to make the land that we look after better for nature, and improve access, helping people connect with nature. We’re working with our tenants to make more space for wildlife across our land to help in the fight against the decline in nature and climate change.
This autumn we’re planting 7 hectares of new woodland on land at Lower Betton Farm on the wider Attingham Estate – the first step towards delivering major improvements for nature by 2030.
The woodland creation, supported by funding from the Environment Agency, will harness the power of trees to lock in carbon, slow the flow of water and provide wildlife habitat. It will contribute to the National Trust's net zero and tree planting targets.
The two fields will be planted from late November 2023, to give the trees the best opportunity to establish before spring and summer 2024 when we might experience drier ground conditions.
The planting and aftercare of the woodland will use naturalistic techniques with deer and rabbit fencing for protection rather than individual tree guards. Our farm tenant is establishing a wildflower and grass meadow beneath the trees which will help provide groundcover to protect from the impacts of drought and encourage wildlife to flourish as we wait for the trees to grow.
The learning from this pilot will inform future woodland establishment approaches at Attingham and around the country.
October 2023
Students from Telford Priory School lent a helping hand by gathering sweet chestnuts and native berries in the parkland at Attingham Park. Afterwards, the students went down to Lower Betton Farm on the wider estate where they scattered and toed in the chestnuts and left the berries for the birds, all to help establish the new woodland. Buckets of thanks to everyone who came to help!
Environmental Agency is a public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, working to create better places for people and wildlife, and support sustainable development.
Attingham is full of life and locally-loved, with over 97 per cent of visitors within a 60 minute drive time of the estate, and many of those visiting regularly throughout the year.
The State of Nature report for 2023 shows that the abundance of species in the UK has declined by 19 per cent on average since records began in 1970. But while the most important natural habitats are in poor condition, work to protect landscapes and support wildlife has clear benefits for nature, people and the climate.
Read about our strategy 'For everyone, for ever' here at the National Trust, which will take the organisation through to 2025.
Find out about ambitious plans to plant trees for future generations that will absorb carbon and enable nature to thrive.
Climate change is the single biggest threat to the places we care for. Take a look at our environmental pledges as we adapt, reduce carbon emissions and address the damage already done.